(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Defense analysts in the Middle East claim that Saudi Arabia is negotiating with China to acquire up to 12 Type 052DE destroyer warships (an export variant of the Type 052D destroyer).
The Type 052D destroyer, of the Luyang class, is among the most modern and capable warships in the Chinese Navy, often compared to the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers of the United States Navy.
If Riyadh indeed purchases a significant number of these Chinese-made warships, it would signify a sudden shift in the geopolitical landscape in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia forming closer ties with Beijing.
Beijing is considered a rival to the United States, which has long been a major supporter of the Saudi government and the primary supplier of various types of weapons to its military.
China’s efforts have also led to increasingly friendly relations between Riyadh and Tehran in recent times.
As relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia cool (starting with the Democratic party leader Jo Biden taking the White House), ties between Riyadh, Tehran, Beijing, and Moscow are growing stronger.
Nevertheless, China’s defense industry is gaining prominence in the Middle East, a region traditionally dominated by U.S. defense companies and their allies.
The geopolitical situation in the Middle East is changing, with China and Russia actively taking on roles that were previously played by the United States.
Returning to the speculation about Saudi Arabia’s potential acquisition of up to 12 Chinese Type 052DE warships, regional military analysts suggest that such a acquisition, if realized, would make the Saudi Navy the most powerful in the region.
The United States and its Western allies also acknowledge the capabilities of the Type 052D warships.
Recently, Beijing announced its intention to offer the Type 052DE warships to “capable buyers.” These ships are considered among China’s most capable warships.
The Type 052DE destroyer (export variant) was introduced into the Chinese Navy in 2014.
Chinese military experts claim that the Type 052D warship, weighing 7,500 tons and measuring 161 meters in length, is the most modern air defense warship in the international market.
Equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, a Vertical Launch System (VLS) capable of launching various guided projectiles, and a modern fire-control system, Beijing developed the Type 052D warship to compete with the “versatile” Arleigh Burke-class destroyers of the U.S. Navy in the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific.
Additionally, the Type 052D destroyer is equipped with 64 VLS cells capable of launching guided projectiles to counter threats from land, air, surface ships, and submarines, assisted by its high-powered AESA radar.
After 25 Type 052D destroyers have been commissioned into the Chinese Navy, with six more under construction, Beijing has announced its readiness to export these modern warships to any interested country.
The cost of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is approximately US$1.8 billion (RM7.2 billion), and as of May of last year, the U.S. Navy possessed 22 such destroyers.
It is expected that the cost of a Type 052D destroyer is significantly lower than that of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. — DSA
DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA APPS
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